What do you think?
Rate this book
Soul Gatherer #3
Surrender to Darkness
As an immortal, Jamie Murdoch has spent lifetimes battling demons. But he's cursed with an inner berserker, and his expertise as a Soul Gatherer is overshadowed by uncontrollable rage. Sent to Japan to investigate a mystical weapon that can destroy demons, Jamie feels out of place in a society that values tranquillity and self-control.
Kiyoko Ashida has dedicated her life to fighting evil. Now she's dying, and her remaining days are linked to a mysterious artifact, which is the only thing keeping her alive. Still, her path is clear--until the day a valiant Soul Gatherer storms into her life and, with one fateful touch, steals her heart.
The Veil is both destroyer and healer, and Jamie knows Kiyoko cannot survive without it. But when the malicious ambitions of a fallen angel target the artifact, he's torn between fulfilling his duty and saving the life of the woman he loves.
Kiyoko Ashida has dedicated her life to fighting evil. Now she's dying, and her remaining days are linked to a mysterious artifact, which is the only thing keeping her alive. Still, her path is clear--until the day a valiant Soul Gatherer storms into her life and, with one fateful touch, steals her heart.
The Veil is both destroyer and healer, and Jamie knows Kiyoko cannot survive without it. But when the malicious ambitions of a fallen angel target the artifact, he's torn between fulfilling his duty and saving the life of the woman he loves.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 7, 2010
2 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Annette McCleave
6 books74 followersAnnette McCleave is an RWA® Golden Heart winner for Best Paranormal Romance and a Golden Heart finalist in Historical Romance. She has published three paranormal romances with NAL Signet Eclipse and several stories on her own.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 13, 2024
**MINOR SPOILERS**
This book is the third book in Soul Gatherer trilogy. I read it as a standalone but I suspect it would have been better to read the series in order. The author has won a Golden Heart award. I think that the author probably planned to write more books in the series based on a few things that happened at the end. There is no cliffhanger, just a possibility for something that could happen next.
Jamie Murdoch, the male main character, is an Immortal and part of the Soul Gatherers, a group that fights evil. There is a Christian tone to the motivation of their group. There are angels and demons; God and Satan are referenced. In addition, invisible sprites (shikigami), ghouls, and Death are also characters. Kiyoko, the female main character, is also telepathic. I thought the author did a good job at world building.
Jamie has a berserker spirit within him. He keeps it tightly under his control because, when the berserker takes over, there is an element of mindlessness to what he does. His berserker side wants to claim Kiyoko and when they first touch this side temporarily takes over and he briefly loses control. Jamie was honorable and decent, and I liked the acceptance he gained during this book.
Kiyoko is human but is part of a similar group, the onmyoji, who fights evil in Japan. She has learned to find inner peace which is an excellent counterbalance to Jamie’s berserker side. However, she wants to touch Jamie’s aura without his permission to see if she can take some of his power to rekindle her ki (spirit). Her ki had been depleted when she tried to save her father. I did not care for this and dinged the book a star for it as it did not seem to be an honorable thing to do. I think the author should have explained the reason for doing it this way more completely. It felt a little out of character. Kiyoko is smart and resourceful and I liked her except for this. There is a reference to Death finding out (Jamie has a commitment to Death).
Jamie is sent to Japan to retrieve a piece of the Veil which is important in the battle between good and evil. He does not know that Kiyoko’s life force is tied to the artifact until much later in the book. She has been given a destiny which involves her transcending. It was not completely clear what that meant.
Azazel is a demon who has infiltrated Kiyoko’s family company. He appears as a high level manager, Watanabe, who he kills in order to take over for him. He wants the piece of the Veil as well. I was surprised that Azazel was able to keep this a secret from others especially those who can read auras or who have other abilities. When it is figured out, it felt sudden.
Kiyoko’s sensei, Sora, is a bit of a manipulator. He also likes to keep secrets which results in at least one person dying. There was a surprising revelation about him at the end of the book.
The dialogue was good. The point of view switched between Jamie, Kiyoko, and Emily, the daughter of one of the Soul Gatherers.
I probably will not continue reading the series, but I liked the battle between good and evil, the development of the relationship between Jamie and Kiyoko, and the occasional philosophical thought.
This book is the third book in Soul Gatherer trilogy. I read it as a standalone but I suspect it would have been better to read the series in order. The author has won a Golden Heart award. I think that the author probably planned to write more books in the series based on a few things that happened at the end. There is no cliffhanger, just a possibility for something that could happen next.
Jamie Murdoch, the male main character, is an Immortal and part of the Soul Gatherers, a group that fights evil. There is a Christian tone to the motivation of their group. There are angels and demons; God and Satan are referenced. In addition, invisible sprites (shikigami), ghouls, and Death are also characters. Kiyoko, the female main character, is also telepathic. I thought the author did a good job at world building.
Jamie has a berserker spirit within him. He keeps it tightly under his control because, when the berserker takes over, there is an element of mindlessness to what he does. His berserker side wants to claim Kiyoko and when they first touch this side temporarily takes over and he briefly loses control. Jamie was honorable and decent, and I liked the acceptance he gained during this book.
Kiyoko is human but is part of a similar group, the onmyoji, who fights evil in Japan. She has learned to find inner peace which is an excellent counterbalance to Jamie’s berserker side. However, she wants to touch Jamie’s aura without his permission to see if she can take some of his power to rekindle her ki (spirit). Her ki had been depleted when she tried to save her father. I did not care for this and dinged the book a star for it as it did not seem to be an honorable thing to do. I think the author should have explained the reason for doing it this way more completely. It felt a little out of character. Kiyoko is smart and resourceful and I liked her except for this. There is a reference to Death finding out (Jamie has a commitment to Death).
Jamie is sent to Japan to retrieve a piece of the Veil which is important in the battle between good and evil. He does not know that Kiyoko’s life force is tied to the artifact until much later in the book. She has been given a destiny which involves her transcending. It was not completely clear what that meant.
Azazel is a demon who has infiltrated Kiyoko’s family company. He appears as a high level manager, Watanabe, who he kills in order to take over for him. He wants the piece of the Veil as well. I was surprised that Azazel was able to keep this a secret from others especially those who can read auras or who have other abilities. When it is figured out, it felt sudden.
Kiyoko’s sensei, Sora, is a bit of a manipulator. He also likes to keep secrets which results in at least one person dying. There was a surprising revelation about him at the end of the book.
The dialogue was good. The point of view switched between Jamie, Kiyoko, and Emily, the daughter of one of the Soul Gatherers.
I probably will not continue reading the series, but I liked the battle between good and evil, the development of the relationship between Jamie and Kiyoko, and the occasional philosophical thought.
January 4, 2011
Surrender to Darkness by Annette McCleave
Paranormal Romance- Jan. 4th, 2011
4 ½ stars
Annette McCleave’s strong writing brings this 3rd installment in her Soul Gatherers series to an exciting new high. This is an attention-grabbing and sexy read. It can easily be read alone but since many characters from prior books make their appearances, it would probably be a richer read if you have read the earlier books.
In this story, the hot-headed berserker Jamie Murdoch is sent in disgrace to find an evil artifact of power in Japan. His uncontrollable battle skills led to a disastrous fall out and their new leader wants him in a less volatile situation. But trouble follows him when he arrives in Japan. He meets Kiyoko Ashida, whose sense of purpose and peace is his complete opposite. He quickly realizes she is hiding something from him, yet he cannot help being attracted to her quiet strength.
Kiyoko has a secret - she fights the forces of darkness. She is a woman born of destiny and uses a powerful veil to help sustain her life and it also gives her incredible abilities. But this veil is an artifact of power and everyone wants it, especially a malicious and devious fallen angel. Kiyoko is distrustful of Jamie but he draws her like no other. Can she trust her instincts?
This is a highly entertaining read. I liked how the author intertwined the Japanese culture/myth into her story, which added drama and made the book more mysterious and even exotic. There other side plots also added extra depth such as Emily’s, who has really grown up. I really liked how evenly matched Kiyoko and Jamie are. Both are strong and confident in their skills. I also enjoyed how Kiyoko’s sense of peace pulls at Jamie who is troubled with ‘rages.’ They really complemented each other, and their attraction to each other is palpable.
This is a spectacular new installment in the Soul Gatherers series. The mystery behind the veil, the thrilling action and the breathtaking romance made for a phenomenal read.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Paranormal Romance- Jan. 4th, 2011
4 ½ stars
Annette McCleave’s strong writing brings this 3rd installment in her Soul Gatherers series to an exciting new high. This is an attention-grabbing and sexy read. It can easily be read alone but since many characters from prior books make their appearances, it would probably be a richer read if you have read the earlier books.
In this story, the hot-headed berserker Jamie Murdoch is sent in disgrace to find an evil artifact of power in Japan. His uncontrollable battle skills led to a disastrous fall out and their new leader wants him in a less volatile situation. But trouble follows him when he arrives in Japan. He meets Kiyoko Ashida, whose sense of purpose and peace is his complete opposite. He quickly realizes she is hiding something from him, yet he cannot help being attracted to her quiet strength.
Kiyoko has a secret - she fights the forces of darkness. She is a woman born of destiny and uses a powerful veil to help sustain her life and it also gives her incredible abilities. But this veil is an artifact of power and everyone wants it, especially a malicious and devious fallen angel. Kiyoko is distrustful of Jamie but he draws her like no other. Can she trust her instincts?
This is a highly entertaining read. I liked how the author intertwined the Japanese culture/myth into her story, which added drama and made the book more mysterious and even exotic. There other side plots also added extra depth such as Emily’s, who has really grown up. I really liked how evenly matched Kiyoko and Jamie are. Both are strong and confident in their skills. I also enjoyed how Kiyoko’s sense of peace pulls at Jamie who is troubled with ‘rages.’ They really complemented each other, and their attraction to each other is palpable.
This is a spectacular new installment in the Soul Gatherers series. The mystery behind the veil, the thrilling action and the breathtaking romance made for a phenomenal read.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
June 14, 2011
I loved the heroine much better than I liked the hero. I thought she was feisty and talented and would have liked to see her in action much more. I loved that Ms. McCleave built upon their attraction and didn't throw them into bed together within the first 50 pages. For me, that makes this a great book. I did discover I didn't need to read the other books to enjoy this one. In fact, I might have done better by picking up this one first since reading the blurbs and reviews of the others make me think they won't suit as well. Ms. McCleave did a great job setting atmosphere and her dialogue was fun and witty. The only thing I had a problem with is the hero's berserker deciding she was "his." It almost went to the soul-mate/destined-mate plot device I don't care for. That's probably why I didn't like the hero as much. It was a nice read, I'm glad I bought it and read.
January 15, 2011
3rd in the series, and my least favorite so far. It's a nice story, but not a page-turning thriller. This book was easy to put down, but it kept my interest just barely enough to finish it. This series is interesting in the fact that it is very different than most paranormal romance. It centers, loosely, around religion and demons. The religious aspect is not heavy, or off-putting. And it's just different enough to get your attention. Murdoch and Kiyoko are not a very passionate couple. Their love affair is played out in mental dialogue and dreams. And the Japanese angle gets a little annoying. But the plot of the overall series moves ahead a little, and was very anti-climatic for me. Not to say I won't keep reading this series, it just won't be my first pick off the shelf.
January 19, 2011
I really liked the setup for this one, the hero is a berserker and the heroine is a very disciplined Japanese demon fighting martial arts master. Initially I thought that the cultural aspects of the heroine's behaviour and reactions were well done, but as the story moves on adn McCleave tries to develop the relationship I thought that fell along the wayside. Additionally the romance did seem a bit tamer than the other books since, in order to keep his berserker in check the hero can't touch her.
March 6, 2011
I loved this book! It was everything I wanted from the previous book and more. From page one I liked it and from about page 20 I was dying for these two to get together. I am dying to read the next book! The subplot that started at the end of the first book and carried into the second book didn't get a whole lot of airtime in this book which bummed me out but the rest of this book was so wonderful that it's ok that I have no idea what the hell is going on with those two.
February 5, 2012
One of those books where you want to read the next in the series as soon as you read the last line.
February 28, 2012
I really love this storyline! The world is extrordinary and the character are not perfect. I cannot wait to read the next one!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews